Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 7 October 1999

Scottish Executive

Community Care

Ms Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the National Strategy for Carers links in with its work and that of the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is considering how the wide ranging commitments of the National Strategy for Carers will be taken forward in Scotland and will make an announcement to Parliament in due course.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make provision of day care for elderly and frail people a statutory requirement.

Iain Gray: Local Authorities are required under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to make provision for such facilities as they consider appropriate to meet the needs of people in their area.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any element of the £750 million funding gap for care of the elderly identified by Sir Stewart Sutherland, Chairman of the Royal Commission for the long-term care of the elderly applies to Scotland, and if so, what action it is taking to address it.

Iain Gray: The central government allocation of resources to local authorities for community care is unhypothecated. The Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocations for individual client groups are assessments of the relative need to spend to enable overall GAE levels to be set for individual authorities. The level of expenditure by local authorities on services for older people is thus a matter for each local authority.

Devolution

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-140 by Donald Dewar on 6 July, whether it will define, describe and elucidate the circumstances in which it may be appropriate for the Westminster Parliament to consider legislation about devolved matters.

Donald Dewar: The approach taken for a particular piece of legislation will depend on the circumstances of that legislation. The normal expectation is that legislation about devolved matters will be enacted by the Scottish Parliament. Before agreeing to the inclusion of provisions about devolved matters in a UK Bill, the Scottish Executive will wish to be convinced that the advantages of proceeding with a UK Bill justify such an approach. Where necessary the consent of the Scottish Parliament will be sought.

Education

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Committee of Inquiry into the future of teachers’ pay and conditions will consider teachers’ workload subject by subject so that particular areas of severe overload can be addressed.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Committee’s terms of reference provide the opportunity to examine workload concerns. How this is addressed will be a matter for the Committee to determine.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total amount of money owed by local authorities in Scotland, in the current financial year, in respect of bills from contractors and suppliers after the date due for payment.

Mr Jack McConnell: This information is not held centrally.

Finance

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect council tax payers in East Ayrshire from additional costs incurred by the council as a result of housing benefit claims not being processed within the six week timescale required.

Mr Jack McConnell: None. This is a matter entirely for the council concerned. (The statutory timescale for review of housing benefit claims is sixty weeks.)

Finance

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures were agreed by East Ayrshire Council with the Accounts Commission, following their investigation into the financial management of the council in 1998, to ensure that housing benefit claims are processed within the statutory timescale and that no future penalties will be incurred, and whether these measures been followed.

Mr Jack McConnell: East Ayrshire Council and their external auditor agreed that the council would prepare an action plan to deal with the backlog of benefit cases and quantify the size of any backlog for 1998-99. The external auditor will assess the council’s actions as part of the 1998-99 audit and will highlight any continuing concerns to the Controller of Audit and the Council for their consideration. The statutory timescales for housing benefit claims and the penalties that can be imposed on councils if they are not met are reserved matters and the responsibility of the Department of Social Security.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of its staff work in divisions or branches that are accountable to the Minister for Finance.

Mr Jack McConnell: I am directly responsible for a wide range of interests. Around 700 staff work in Divisions that support these responsibilities but many of the staff also support other Ministerial initiatives and objectives. They do not report solely to me.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that 1998-99 audits of local authorities are completed to an acceptable standard and submitted by the due date of 30 June 2000.

Mr Jack McConnell: The 30 June is the statutory deadline for the submission of unaudited accounts for the financial year 1999-2000. There is no statutory deadline for the completion of audits. The standard and completion of audits of local authority accounts is a matter for the Controller of Audit and we support his efforts to improve performance in this area.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish local authorities have yet to comply with the Code of Practice on Following the Public Pound.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information because monitoring compliance with the Code of Guidance on Funding External Bodies and Following the Public Pound is the responsibility of councils’ external auditors appointed by the Accounts Commission for Scotland.

Finance

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it is making to allow (a) the Scottish Executive (b) local authorities and (c) Scottish public bodies to meet the cost of complying with the judgement of the European Court of Justice in Case C-78/98 relating to part-time workers’ rights to retroactive membership of occupational pension schemes if the Court accepts the Opinion of the Advocate General in this case, and what the estimated costs for (a) the Scottish Executive (b) local authorities and (c) Scottish public bodies of complying with such a judgement would be.

Mr Jack McConnell: Although the opinion of the Advocate General has been published, the European Court is not necessarily bound by it and is not expected to issue its ruling until next year. Once the ruling is issued, it will be for individual schemes through their own valuation processes to determine the extent of their increased liability. Detailed estimates of the cost have not been made as these would require considerable research and would also depend on the precise terms of the ruling.

  The Court ruling will not be the only factor affecting the liabilities of the pensions schemes mentioned. Other factors, in particular rates of investment return and salary increase, could well prove to be more important. Increases in liability, for whatever reason, are normally met by increased employer contributions spread forward over 10 to 15 years and any such requirement for increased contributions will be taken into account in future spending reviews.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any assistance that it can give to Inverclyde Council to enable it to resolve the benefit issues identified by both external audit and the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate.

Mr Jack McConnell: No. The Scottish Executive has not been approached by Inverclyde Council to give it any special assistance over this matter, nor do I think this would be appropriate.

Health

Euan Robson (Roxburgh & Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a post polio clinic within the Scottish Health Service and circulate details of post polio syndrome to health boards in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive sympathise with those who suffer from post-polio syndrome. The syndrome has become well recognised in recent years, and specific criteria have been drawn up for its diagnosis. General practitioners should be well placed to carry out holistic, multidisciplinary assessments of such patients and refer them for occupational therapy or physiotherapy, both of which can be very effective in treating this condition. For these reasons The Scottish Executive does not think it necessary to establish a post-polio clinic in Scotland.

Health

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the resources allocated for health promotion within each health board area.

Susan Deacon: Health Boards are given an annual general allocation. It is for health boards to determine, within the funds available, how to manage and deliver local health care services that meet the health care needs of their resident populations. The Scottish Executive expects the NHS in Scotland to give priority to promoting public health. This should be reflected in every aspect of health boards’ and NHS Trusts’ activities and in their Health Improvement Programmes and Trust Implementation Plans. Expenditure on health promotion in 1997-98 was as follow:-

  

 

1997-98 Expenditure 

  




Health Board 


£000 




Argyll & Clyde 

  

529 

  



Ayrshire & Arran 

  

831 

  



Borders 

  

429 

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  

515 

  



Fife 

  

589 

  



Forth Valley 

  

675 

  



Grampian 

  

2205 

  



Greater Glasgow 

  

3093 

  



Highland 

  

456 

  



Lanarkshire 

  

1132 

  



Lothian 

  

1139 

  



Orkney 

  

113 

  



Shetland 

  

268 

  



Tayside 

  

691 

  



Western Isles 

  

207 

  



Total 

  

12872 

  



  Data on health promotion activities are only collected centrally for health promotion teams and divisions within health boards. The above figures may not cover all health promotion expenditure by boards, for example time spent by district nurses on health promotion issues will not be included. For this reason comparisons between health boards can be misleading.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the five main causes of death for males and females in Scotland aged 35 or younger, for the years 1984-85 to 1998-99.

Susan Deacon: All deaths in Scotland are coded according to the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD9) which is promulgated by the World Health Organisation. As with all classifications, ICD9 tends to group minor categories and split up larger categories. Any choice of the ‘five main causes’ of death is therefore somewhat subjective. The table below gives information on causes or groups of causes that are considered to be appropriate to the age group of interest. As can be seen the ‘five main causes’ have varied over the period in question.

  


Deaths aged under 35, selected 

  causes, 
by sex, Scotland 

  
















































Cause of death 

  

ICD9 code 

  

1984 

  

1985 

  

1986 

  

1987 

  

1988 

  

1989 

  

1990 

  

1991 

  

1992 

  

1993 

  

1994 

  

1995 

  

1996 

  

1997 

  

1998 

  



Males 

  








































































































Suicide (incl. 'undetermined') 

  

E950 - E959, E980 - E989 

  

161 

  

167 

  

191 

  

188 

  

219 

  

188 

  

236 

  

213 

  

251 

  

291 

  

255 

  

250 

  

256 

  

282 

  

268 

  



Motor vehicle traffic accidents 

  

E810 - E819 

  

255 

  

222 

  

251 

  

210 

  

227 

  

204 

  

229 

  

187 

  

174 

  

140 

  

140 

  

157 

  

144 

  

154 

  

133 

  



Drug dependence 

  

304 

  

4 

  

9 

  

2 

  

5 

  

5 

  

9 

  

10 

  

22 

  

14 

  

26 

  

94 

  

111 

  

125 

  

102 

  

125 

  



Perinatal conditions 

  

760 - 779 

  

166 

  

129 

  

144 

  

139 

  

131 

  

135 

  

113 

  

136 

  

136 

  

101 

  

106 

  

91 

  

103 

  

82 

  

98 

  



Congenital anomalies 

  

740 - 759 

  

149 

  

113 

  

93 

  

91 

  

111 

  

116 

  

100 

  

99 

  

101 

  

104 

  

74 

  

80 

  

76 

  

66 

  

71 

  



Homicide 

  

E960 - E969 

  

30 

  

28 

  

27 

  

40 

  

66 

  

76 

  

34 

  

35 

  

69 

  

39 

  

54 

  

48 

  

51 

  

35 

  

42 

  



Sudden infant death syndrome 

  

798.0 

  

82 

  

87 

  

99 

  

87 

  

77 

  

85 

  

86 

  

62 

  

45 

  

37 

  

31 

  

25 

  

30 

  

34 

  

19 

  



All causes 

  




1397 

  

1278 

  

1344 

  

1268 

  

1371 

  

1303 

  

1320 

  

1236 

  

1252 

  

1188 

  

1212 

  

1204 

  

1223 

  

1110 

  

1151 

  



Females 

  

 

















































Suicide (incl. 'undetermined') 

  

E950 - E959, E980 - E989 

  

39 

  

49 

  

42 

  

59 

  

59 

  

58 

  

58 

  

57 

  

73 

  

79 

  

64 

  

60 

  

75 

  

75 

  

72 

  



Perinatal conditions 

  

760 - 779 

  

112 

  

117 

  

106 

  

91 

  

78 

  

94 

  

93 

  

77 

  

80 

  

73 

  

85 

  

87 

  

76 

  

58 

  

67 

  



Congenital anomalies 

  

740 - 759 

  

106 

  

104 

  

90 

  

86 

  

84 

  

67 

  

69 

  

72 

  

86 

  

83 

  

68 

  

64 

  

63 

  

59 

  

60 

  



Motor vehicle traffic accidents 

  

E810 - E819 

  

79 

  

72 

  

62 

  

65 

  

54 

  

68 

  

53 

  

72 

  

65 

  

35 

  

40 

  

57 

  

39 

  

41 

  

43 

  



Drug dependence 

  

304 

  

2 

  

1 

  

2 

  

1 

  

0 

  

3 

  

3 

  

6 

  

4 

  

8 

  

31 

  

28 

  

30 

  

20 

  

27 

  



Sudden infant death syndrome 

  

798.0 

  

55 

  

52 

  

54 

  

49 

  

57 

  

58 

  

46 

  

28 

  

19 

  

21 

  

17 

  

23 

  

13 

  

18 

  

18 

  



Breast cancer 

  

174 

  

12 

  

12 

  

10 

  

12 

  

12 

  

10 

  

17 

  

19 

  

21 

  

16 

  

16 

  

15 

  

14 

  

13 

  

10 

  



Homicide 

  

E960 - E969 

  

15 

  

8 

  

9 

  

18 

  

20 

  

82 

  

8 

  

10 

  

11 

  

10 

  

9 

  

11 

  

22 

  

7 

  

9 

  



All causes 

  




769 

  

754 

  

652 

  

656 

  

609 

  

711 

  

613 

  

637 

  

621 

  

651 

  

565 

  

597 

  

569 

  

515 

  

531 

  



  Notes

  1 The method of collecting information on drug-related deaths was changed in 1994. This change significantly affected the number of deaths classified as drug dependence.

  2 The number of homicides was increased significantly in 1988 and 1989 by the Lockerbie incident, and to a lesser extent in 1996 by the Dunblane incident.

  3 Certain standard conventions have been followed in preparing the data in the table: the years given are calendar years; ages cover persons aged under 35 rather those aged 35 or younger; and deaths from an ‘injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted’ have been included with suicides.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what cuts and closures are currently proposed by Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust at Stracathro Hospital, Angus and what effect these proposals will have on the still to be announced Tayside acute services review.

Susan Deacon: Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking the views of staff on proposals to reorganise services at Stracathro Hospital. The proposals focus on the consolidation of surgical and medical wards. I expect the Trust to pay due regard to the quality of care for patients and the interests of staff in its considerations.

  I have been assured that any operational decisions will not prejudice the Tayside acute services review that is currently in hand.

Health

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given consideration to the introduction of retractable syringes in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: A pilot scheme on the use of retractable needles is currently being carried out at West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust. In addition data on needlestick injuries in the NHS in Scotland is currently being collected. We are also liaising with the Department of Health. A short life working group within the Scottish Executive Health Department is in the process of being set up and will look at the available data on needlestick injuries and practical use of retractable needles and report to Ministers.

Homelessness

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed timescale is between the announcement of the Homelessness Task Force and the report of that Task Force.

Jackie Baillie: We announced our intention to set up the Task Force on 17 June and the remit and membership on 15 August. The group met for the first time on 25 August. The Task Force has been asked to produce an initial report within 6 months so that any proposed amendments to the homelessness legislation can be considered for inclusion in next year’s housing bill.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-900 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 August 1999, whether emergency legislation to address the issues raised by the case of Noel Ruddle will be ready to introduce on 1 or 2 September.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Act 1999, which closes the loophole identified in the case of Mr Noel Ruddle, received Royal Assent on 13 September 1999.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the average waiting time in civil cases in the Court of Session between a proof being allowed and the date for proof.

Mr Jim Wallace: The average waiting time between a proof being allowed and the date for proof for the last 2 quarters is set out in the table below. The period meets the Supreme Courts waiting period target of 19 weeks set by the Lord President. The time for individual cases will vary depending on the availability of counsel.

  Details for earlier periods are contained in the SCS Annual Report for 1998-99.

  Supreme Courts Waiting Periods

  Waiting Periods

  Civil Business Quarter ended Quarter ended

  June 1999 September 1999*

  Ordinary Proofs (from 17 weeks 19 weeks

  Date Proof allowed)

  *Provisional

Justice

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Ministers will be able either to take final decisions themselves relating to the current review of Sheriff Court provision in Lothian and Borders, or to ensure that any final decisions take fully into account implications for the operational costs of all relevant agencies.

Mr Jim Wallace: The review of Sheriff Court provision in Lothian and Borders is being undertaken by Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson who is consulting interested parties on a number of proposals. Any recommendations from the review which affect Court boundaries will be submitted to Scottish Ministers who will take account of all relevant considerations before deciding on a course of action. Any changes in provision of Courts would have to be set out in a Statutory Instrument requiring the approval of the Parliament.

Kvaerner Energy Working Group

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Kvaerner Energy Working Group, who serves on the group, and when reports from the group will be available to MSPs.

Henry McLeish: I set up the Kvaerner Energy Working Group on 2 August. The remit of the Working Group is to assist Kvaerner in finding a buyer for all parts of the Kvaerner Energy operation at Clydebank. It is not expected that there will be any written reports from the Group.

  I chair the Working Party. The members of the Working Party are:

  Tony Worthington, MP for Clydebank and Milgavie

  Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milgavie

  Councillor Andrew White, Leader of West Dunbartonshire Council

  Tim Huntingford, Acting Chief Executive of West Dunbartonshire Council

  Dave Anderson, Chief Executive of Dunbartonshire Enterprise

  Malcolm Clark, former member of the Kvaerner Task Force

  Robbie Robertson, Chairman of the Joint Shop Stewards at Kvaerner Energy

  Alan Oakly, Convener of AEEU at Kvaerner Energy

  John Mason, Head of Industrial Policy, Scottish Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department.

Lobbying

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its view would be on members taking a second public oath against involvement in any dealings with commercial lobbyists, as the first oath of May 12 1999 did not contain any pledge on ethical standards.

Mr Tom McCabe: Under the terms of Section26 of the Scotland Act, this is a matter for the Presiding Officer. I understand the Standards Committee is considering a Code of Conduct for Members which may include a reference to the Oath of Allegiance.

Public Appointments

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendations by Professor Crick and David Millar in To make the Parliament of Scotland a model for democracy , prepared for the John Wheatley Centre, with regard to the procedures applicable to public appointments.

Donald Dewar: Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that appointments to public bodies conform to the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Guidance. The Guidance took into account all the recommendations on public appointments made by Lord Nolan and his Committee, and in particular, those referring to independent scrutiny. The Commissioner keeps the Guidance under constant review.

Returning Officers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reform the system of payment for returning officers in local government, Scottish Parliament and general elections.

Mr Jim Wallace: Local Authorities are responsible for returning officers’ payments at local elections and we have no plans to change this.

  Matters relating to Parliamentary elections, including those to this Parliament, are reserved.

Rural Affairs

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure closer integration between agricultural and forestry incentives, in order to promote diversification within agriculture and further the commitment to sustainable rural development.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is already working with Regional Plan Teams to draw up new rural development programmes for Scotland under the Agenda 2000 Rural Development Regulation.

  The Regulation includes farm diversification, forestry and a range of other on and off farm rural development activities. Our priority is to create programmes which will contribute to the sustainable economic, environmental and social development of Scotland's rural areas.

Social Inclusion

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to support the contribution of the proposed Greenbank day care centre and associated housing in Langholm, Dumfriesshire to its social inclusion strategy and to strengthening the local community.

Ms Wendy Alexander: A decision on the funding for this project, including the housing element, is for Dumfries and Galloway Council, in collaboration with its strategic community care planning partners, such as Scottish Homes.

Voluntary Sector

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the charging of voluntary organisations for criminal record checks on their staff.

Mr Jim Wallace: We fully appreciate the contribution voluntary organisations make, and are concerned about the impact charging for criminal record checks will have. I am therefore pleased to announce today that I am establishing a review group to consider in detail charging issues and policies. The group will include representatives from the voluntary sector, and will be chaired by Jackie Baillie, Deputy Minister for Communities, who is responsible for co-ordination of Executive policy on the voluntary sector.